1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, programs for use in the terminal, a settlement apparatus that can perform data communication with the terminal, and a MERCHANDISING-information providing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cellular telephones developed in recent years incorporate an external wireless interface that achieves wireless communication by using infrared rays, a non-contact IC card or the like. Settlement applications are now proposed, which enable a telephone user to pay charges and receive coupons by using the wireless interface.
Particularly, it is proposed that shops should electronically input receipts into the cellular telephone when the telephone user pays for whatever he or she has just bought. If the receipts are recorded in the form of electronic data, the user can have his or her household account book kept both electronically and automatically. This is advantageous to the telephone user. This is useful to the shops, too, because the expense involved in issuing paper receipts is saved. In view of this, it is well expected that the electronic-receipt issuing technology will soon come into use.
The amount of data that can be recorded on electronic receipts is almost limitless, unlike the amount of data recordable on conventional paper receipts. If shops issue electronic receipts, they can give the consumers far more merchandise and advertisement information than by issuing conventional paper receipts.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-141649, for example, discloses a technique of adding additional information to electronic receipts. In this technique, an electronic receipt with additional information is transferred to the purchaser's personal computer, and the personal computer records the information in the household account book. The purchaser can therefore review the additional information on the personal computer.
Thus, this technique enables the purchaser to review, on his or her personal computer, the additional information recorded on the electronic receipt. Most personal computers are unusable outdoors. Inevitably, consumers can access such value-added information only indoors. Assume that the merchandize bought is one for outdoor use and that the additional information (i.e., merchandise information) is instructions for solving problems with the merchandise. Then, the purchaser cannot access the information immediately while he or she is using the merchandise in the open.